Sealing-in machine for electric lamps



July 28, 1925.

.1. J. HIGGINS SEALING-IN MACHINE FOR ELECTRI-C LAMPS Filed May 9, '19215 Sheets-Sheet 1 iNVENTOR JOHN J. Mae/N5 ATTQRNEY July 28, 1925.

J. J. HIGGINS SEALING-IN MACHINE FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed May 9, 1921 July 28, 1925.

Filed May 9, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I FlG ATTOR N EY Patented July 28,1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN JOSEPH HIGGINS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR TO WESTING-HOUSE LAMP COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SEALING-IN MACHINE FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

Application filed May 9,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN JOSEPH HIG- GINS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of East Orange, in the, county of Essex and Stateof New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sealing-InMachines for Electric Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the art of manufacturing electric lamps and ithas special reference to improvements'in machines for sealing mounts inbulbs.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine which requires no.change or modification. in order that it may be used for sealing mountsin bulbs of different sizes.

A further object is to efliciently and safely remove cullets and brokenglass from lampmaking machines without danger to the operatives.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following detaileddescription.

Machines for sealing mounts in bulbs are well known and in extensiveuse. The preferred commercial machine is of the rotary type, in which arotatable carrier, provided with several rotatable heads, is employed,heads in these machines have means, for supporting the bulbs termed theadapter and mechanism for supporting the mount called the mount-support.In operating these machines, the operative places a mouht,which'includes all the parts of the lamp within the bulb, in themount-support, and then places a bulb in the adapter over the mount. Theadapter locates the maximum diameter of the bulb so that it occupies apredetermined position with respect to the light center of the mount.The carrier is then rotated and the heads carried past a' series-offlames which heat the neck of the bulb and the lower part of the mountto seal them together. Before the lamp is removed from the machine, themount-supports are lowered to effect the pull-down operation. The lampis then re moved, the mount'centralized by the operative, and,thereafter, the cullets lifted from the head and placed upon the carrierfrom which they are removed by brushes. The operation may thenbe'repeated.

One of the disadvantages in a machine of the character set forth isthat, when it is de sired to seal mounts in bulbs of larger or thechange, which necessarily results in the loss of the op'erativesservices in the actual production of'lamps.

The foregoing disadvantages in the present sealing-in machinesareovercome by the provision of means for accommodating bulbs of differentsizes without altering the mechanism, and, for accomplishing thatpurpose, the invention provides an adapter of a universal characterwhich, together with the assistance of self-centering jaws, positionsbulbs of different sizes in predetermined relationship with respect tothe mounts. 1

Another objectionable feature, in connection with the rotary machines inuse today, is that the cullets are not satisfactorily removed from thesemachines. In prior machines, removal of the cullets is generallyeffected by means of brushes which operate against a horizontal face ofthe rotatable carrier. These brushes remove the cullcts resting on theface of the carrier and direct them toward a receiving pan. This methodof removal is found to be unsatisfactory for the reason the brushesfrequently Wear out or else the cullets and broken glass becomeentangled in them and cause the glass to" shatter, with consequentdanger to the operative.

In order to provide a more satisfactory means for effecting the removalof the cullets, it has been found that a gravity sup port, which permitsthe cullets and broken glass to move downwardly under the influence oftheir potential energy, obviates the difficulties heretoforeencountered.

An illustration of the mechanism which accomplishes the above aims isshownin the" appended drawings, in which: f 1

Fig. 1 is an elevation, with parts broken away, of a machine embodyingmy improvements Fig. 1- is a plan View of a universal adapter forsupportmg bulbs of different sizes;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a'pair of.-selfcentering aws in open position;

Fig. 6 is a plan view looking upwardly in the direction of the arrow,Fig. 3, of the operating mechanism for the self-centering jaws in lockedposition; and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the operating mechanism inopen posit-ion.

The present machine may consist essentially of a framework upon which issupported a guide or hopper within which a carrier having a conicalupper face is centrally. supported for rotation. The carrier may supportthe rotatable heads within which the different parts of the work aremounted. The heads are preferably made ot' three parts, 'namely, theuniversal adapter, which supports the exterior structure of the lamps,usually the bulbs, which may difi er in size: the mom'it-support forvertically carrying the interior structure of the lamps, usually termedthe mount, which also may diiier'in size; and the self-centering jawswhich engage the bulb to correctly align their vertical or longitudinalaxesinto coincidence with corresponding axes of the work placed in themount-support. Burners are positioned centrally within the carrier todirect their fiamesfagainst the work to cause the melting of the glassand the sealing of the parts together as the carrier and the heads areeach caused to rotate past the flames. The parts of the mechanism setforth which I desire to particularly establish as new are the universaladapter which accommodatesbulbs of different sizes and correctlypositions them with respect to light center of the mounts, theself-centeringi jaws which accurately align the longitudinal aims ofthe: bulbs ot dilferent sizes into coincidence with the mounts,-and thecarrier of conical shape which eitects the. removal of the culletswholly by gravity and without the assistance of brushes or other specialremoval mechanism.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, the framework for the machine maycomprise integral castings having vertical legs or standards 10 andcross-braces 11. Two of these castings may be employed, one being placedon each side of the machine. A protecting guide or hopper may beprovided forpreventing the broken pieces of glass from falling to thefloor. A preferable construction may comprise a circular wall 12,flaring outwardly and which may be in the form of an integral castingmade of aluminum or other suitable material, secured in any desiredmanner to the castings. The bottom of the hopper may be in the form ofan inverted cone 13 for directing materialreceived by the hopper towardits apex in order thatthe material accumulating in the bottom of thehopper maybe readily removed. The apex of the cone may be provided withan opening, to which may be connected a discharge chute 14. This chutedirects the broken pieees'of glass into a suitable receptacle (notshown). The cone 13 may either bese cured to, or be integral with, thehopper 12 or be fastened to the standards 10 or crossbraces 11.

As mentioned heretofore, the means employed for removing broken piecesof glassor cullets from a machine of this character have not proved verysatisfactory. It is believed this trouble may be obviated by providing adevice of such design that the cullets and pieces of broken glass may,because of their potential energy, fall freely from the machine into asuitable collecting and guiding device. An embodiment of such means isvillustrated in Fig. 1 and may comprise a rotatable circular carrier 15having its surface 15 in the form of a cone. The edge 17 ot' the carriermay be spaced from the upper edge of the hopper 12 to provide a space 18through which the cullets and broken bits of glass may pass into thehopper 12 and out of the machine through the chute 14. The rotatable carrier 15 may be centrally positioned with respect to the hopper 12 andmay be supported for rotation on avertical shaft 19, either carried bythe hopper 12 or the crossbraees 11, or otherwise.

Integral with, or secured to, the carrier, area number of bearings 20,in which are rotatably mounted tubular spindles 21 of work-supportingheads 22, hereinafter termed heads. Any number of these heads may beemployed but it has been found, in practice, that a desirable number issix or eight.

The type of heads heretofore employed did not provide ior aligning thelongitudinal axis of the bulb with the cones 0nding axis of the mount,nor did these leads have an adapter of universal character, i. e., onewhich would accommodate bulbs of difterent sizes and, at the same time,position the bulbs correctly with respect to the light center. In priormachines, it was necessary to so support the adapter that it could bereadily removed in order to permit of ready substitution of an adapterot appropriate size it' it should be found desirable to convert themachine for use with bulbs of.

larger or smaller size.

A head which requires no changes in it whatsoever to provide for thehandling of bulbs of different and which will also axially center bulbsof different sizes with respect to the mount, may comprise a hollowspindle 21, (Figs. 2 and 3), heretofore mentioned, having a V shapedcasting 9 at'its axes coinciding.

upper end. Secured to, or integral with, the legs of the V casting aretubular standards 23 and 24 extending vertically upward. Brazed orsecured in any desirable manner to the upper ends of the standards is aflat rectangular housing 25 having a recess 26 in one of its edges.Openings 27 may be provided in the housing to register with the bores ofthe tubular standards 23 and 24. In the machine illustrated,theselfcentering mechanism is. mounted within the housing abovementioned, and comprises a pair of slidable jaws 28 and 29, each havingnotched engaging faces 31 adapted to make a two-point contact with theneck of the bulb. The jaws may be guided in a straight path by theflanges or walls 32 and 33 of the housing 25. andv be prevented fromlifting out of the housing by means of a plate 34, removaibly secured tothe housing.

Supported by the plate 34 on studs 35 is a universal adapter 36. Theadapter may be removably secured to the head or be integrally connectedthereto in any desired manner. As shown, the head is provided withbosses 37, secured, to an open ringshaped base 38 of the head, whichbosses are brazed to the studs 35. The supporting means proper for bulbsof different sizes, as illustrated, comprises three vertical triangularstuds or plates 39, 40 and 41 secured in spaced relation on the base 38.The plates 39 and 40 are mounted adjacent the edges of the opening inthe ring base 38, while the plate 41 is positioned intermediate thesetwo plates. The inner faces of the plates are inclined downwardly andform a three-point supporting surface for the bulbs. It is to be noted,in the form of universal support illustrated, that the lates are of suchheight that bulbs of di erent sizes may rest in them. The inclination orangle of the faces of the plates 39, 40, 41 may be determined by layingout bulbs of different sizes of anypa rticular design, such as those ofpear-shape, straight-sides, etc., one within the other and with theirvertical drawn through the points of maximum diameter, and the anglesuch line makes with the vertical axis determines the angle orinclination of the face of the plates. Obviously, the height of theplates will vary and be dependent upon the range in size of the bulbsdesired to be sealed-in in any particular machine.

The adapter may be considered as a separate unit and, by reason of itscompact structure, may be arranged for ready at tachment to the machinesnow used, and thus be sold as an article of manufacture.

A convenient manner of separating the slidable jaws, (Figs. 2, 3, 6 and7), may include an oscillating shaft 44, vertically positioned andhaving bearing in the tubu- A line should then be;

la-r standard. 24. Secured to the upper end of this shaft is a pinion 45meshing, on one side, (Fig. 5) with a rack 46, and, on the oppositeside, Witha rack 47. The rack 46 may be integral with aplate 48' restingon the floor of the housing A bar 49 we as a connecting means betweenthe plate lb and the jaw 28 of the'self-centering jaws. The plate 48 maybe'slotted at 50 to straddle the pinion gear 45, and the rack 46 maybemounted on one of the faces of the slot. The rack 47 may be secured inany desired manner, within a slotted opening 51 of the jaw 29 of theself-centering jaws. The aw 29 rests and slides upon the plate 48 and isguided in its movements by the bar 49 and the flange or Wall 32.

By means of the above construction, it will be noted that operation ofthe shaft 44 in a counter-clockwise direction will move the rack 46 tothe right and the rack 47 to theleft, which, in turn, will cause thejaws 28 and 29 to move in similar directions,- respectively, to openthem. Clockwise rotation of the shaft 44 will effectan opposite movementin the different parts and the closing of the jaws 28 and 29.

A preferable manner of oscillating the shaft 44 is by means of aconveniently placed lever 53, (Figs. 6 and 7), pivotally, mounted at 54on the V casting. The lever is connected, adjacent to one end, to alatch55, by means of a stud screw '56, the opposite end of the latchbeing connected to a reciprocating rack bar 57 by means of a pin 58. Therack bar meshes with a pinion 59 mounted on the lower end of the shaft44 and is guided in a straight path and maintained in mesh with thepinion 59 by the guide 61.

, The, latch 55 has mounted along one of its edges, a cam face 62terminating in a shoulder 63, to form a hook; The hook'engages behind anupstanding pin 64'secured to the guide 61. A spring 65, secured at oneend to an angular projection 66 on the rack bar 57 and at its otherendto. the latch 5:3 at 67, urges the latch. toward the pin 64. so thatwhen the latch is moved to cause oscillation of the shaft 44 to open theself-centering jaws or heads 67, it will snap under the pin and lock thejaws in their open positions (Fig. 6). The jaws may be released bymoving the hook 63 from engagementwith the pin 64 by pressing, in thedirectiou of the arrow (Fig. 6), on the extension 68 of the latch. Aslot 69, through which the stud screw projects, is provided to permitrelative movement between the rack bar 57 and the latch topermit.disengagement of the latter from the pin 64. The lever 53 isurged in a direction to close the jaws by means of a spring 71 hooked tothe lever 72 and secured to the pin. 73 IGIHOViIbl y fastened to thetubular standard 23.

One end of the lever 53 carries a finger plate 7 4 which is convenientlymounted adj acent the'extension 68, so that an operative in performingthe operation of openingand closing the jaws may use but one hand, thuspermitting use of the other hand to remove the finished articles.

For supporting the mount in proper relationship with respect to theadapter and the centering jaws so that the mount, the adapter, and theself-centering jaws will have their axes in coincidence, a mount-supportmay be provided. The mount-support illustrated is adapted for supportinga mount for a tipless lamp, but any other form of mount-support may justas well be provided. The mount-support for tipless lamps usuallycomprises'a mount-rod 76 having a limited'vertical movement in thetubular spindle 21, the upper end of the rod carrying the removablemount-tip 77, which has a vertical bore through it to accommodate theexhaust tube of the mounts when tipless lamps are being=made. Themount-tip may be of a different construction when mounts for tiplesslamps are being inserted in the bulb.

A well-known form of clamping chuck 7 8 of the ball bearing type 79 maybe provided to secure the work oifmount in vertical position rigidlywithin the mount-support. The mount-rod 76 has three longitudinalgrooves 79 extending along the surface from its lower end to a pointadjacent the mount-tip. Mounted beneath the mount tip and secured .tothe mount rod is a culletsupporting collar 81. Conveniently mounted onthe tubular shaft 24: adjacent the finger plate 74 is a plate 82,against which th operative may rest his thumb.

By reason of the peculiar construction of the head, it appears obviousthat it maybe considered as a separate unit and sold' as such for readyattachment to machines now being used. a 1

Rotation may be imparted to the various parts of the mechanism by meansof a driving shaft rotated through a pulley 86 from any convenientsource of power. The shaft, in turn, through a worm gear 87, rotates theworm gear 88 on the vertical shaft 89, supported in brackets 90 and 91.To'the upper end of the shaft 89 is attached a pulley 92, and threadedaround this pulley and pulleys 93, 4-, and 96 is a flexible belt 97. Thepulleys 95, 96 and others not shown, are secured'to the lower endspf thetubular spindles 21 of the rotatable heads. The pulley 94: serves as aguide to remove the driving belt 97 from engagement with the pulleys 95,96 etc., when the heads reach a po sition opposite the operative. A pin98 secured to the pulleys on the spindles 21 engages a bumper or stop 99to bring the heads to rest in such position that the operative ,mayconveniently remove the work therefrom. It is to be noted thatengagement of the belt 97 with the pulleys 93, 95, 96 etc. rotates thecarrier 16 and also imparts an independent rotation to the heads 22, solong its the beltis in engagement with the puleys.

A heating device may be mounted at the upper end of the vertical shaft19 and may comprise a mixing chamber 100 and burners 101.

The general operation of the machine may be described as follows Withthe jaws 28 and 29 locked in the open position, as indicated in Fig. 6,the operative picks up a mount and places it in the mount-support andthen clamps the exhaust tube of the .mount rigidly to the mount-supportby means of the chuck 78. The bulb is then inserted in the adapter andpositioned over the mount. The latch 55 is now released by pressinoutwardly on the extension 68, the spring 71 causing the lever 53 toswin the rack 57 which, in turn, ro-

tates the s aft 44 in a clockwise direction to close the jaws 28 and 29about the neck of the bulb and thus center the vertical axis of the bulbin coincidence with the vertical axis of the mount. The head is thencarried past the burners 101 and the bulb and mount sealed together.During the heating of the glass, the head is kept in constant rotation.After the sealing has been effected, air is admitted throughthepassage-ways 7 9 to a point adjacent the seal and to effect a.separation of the lower end of the neck. termed the cullet, from thebulb. To better direct the air into the passageways, an inverted cup 102may be mounted on the lower end of the support rod 76. The cullet fallsupon, and is supported by, the cullet-supporting collar 81. The operatormoves the mount rod 76 downwardly to effect the pulldown operation. Thecentering. jaws are next opened by the pperator pressing upon the lever53 and are maintained in such position by engagen'ient of the latch 55with the pin 64.

g It is not desired torestrict the universal adapter, the self-centeringjaws and the cullet-removing device to use in a sealing-in machine sincethese devices may be found useful in other lamp-making machines.

The specific mechanism for supporting bulbs of different sizes, termedthe universal adapter, and the device for axially centering or aligningthe bulbs with respect to the mount, called self-centering jaws,together with arrangement of parts for more effectively removing thecullets, are illustrative only and, therefore, full right isreserved toconsider any modifications which function similarly, either together orseparately, as falling within the scope of the invention as defined bythe following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sealing-in machine comprising a sup port, heads carried on saidsupport, a plurality of contact members associated with said heads andhaving surfaces of such a contour as to hold bulbs of various sizes eachin a predetermined position relative thereto.

2. A sealing-in head comprising a plurality of contact members havingsurfaces of such a contour as to hold bulbs of various sizes each in apredetermined position relative thereto and means for maintaining a bulbfrom displacement when positioned.

3. A sealing-in machine comprising a rotatable support, rotatable headscarried on said support and a plurality of contact, surfaces associatedwith said heads, said surfaces having such a contour as to hold bulbs ofvarious sizes each in a predetermined position relative thereto.

4. ,A sealing-in machine comprising a retatable support, rotatable headscarried on said support and a plurality' 'of contact. surfacesassociated with said heads, said surfaces having such a contour as tohold bulbs of various sizes each in a predetermined position relativethereto, a pair of jaws and means for actuating said jaws to engage theneck of a bulb.

5. A sealing-in machine comprising a movable carrier, heads su portedon. said carrier, each of said hea s comprising a mount-support, an adater comprising aplurality of contact sur aces having such a contour. asto hold bulbs if various sizes each in a predetermined positionrelativethereto, means for severing a cullet from the neck of a supported bulband means for directing severed cullets laterally from said machine. 1

6. In a,sealing-in machine comprisinga movable carrier, heads supportedon said carrier, each of said heads-comprising a mount-support and anadapter having a plurality of contact surfaces of such contour as tohold bulbs of different sizes, each held in a predetermined positionrelative to a mount held in said mount-support, means for seal.- ing thebulb to a supported mount and for severingthe cullet from said bulb anda gravity guide for directing a cullet from said machine.

7. A head for a sealing-in machine comrising a support an adaptercarried therey, a mount-support in axial alignment with 'said ada ter'and self-centering jaws for aligning ulbs placed in said adapter withthe vertical axis of said mount-support.

8. A head for a machine for sealing mounts in bulbs including amount-support and an adapter comprising members having surfaces of sucha contour as to hold bulbs of various sizes,'; each in a predeterminedposition relative tosaid mount-support.

9. An article of manufacture comprising a universal adapter havlng aplurality of members having surfaces'of such a contour as to hold bulbsof different diametrical and lineal dimensions, each with the perimetersof-the necks at a sealing-in line in substantially the same horizontalplane.

10. A head for a sealing-in machine comprising spaced apart standards, amount- .support between said standards, an adapter supported by thestandards, said adapter comprising a plurality of contact surfaceshaving such a contour as to hold bulbs of various sizes, each in apredetermined posiof various sizes, each in a predetermined positionrelative thereto, means for supporting a mount and means for externallyengaging the neck ofa supported bulbto align the same in a head. I

13. A head for a sealing-in machine comprising a plurality of standardsspaced apart, a mount-support between said standards, a bulb adaptercomprising a plurality of surfaces having such a contour as to hold'bulbspf various sizes, each in a predetermined position relative tosaid mountsupport and means for engaging the neck portion of a bulbpositioned in said adapter to align the bulb axially within the head.

14. In a head for a sealing-in machine, a

pair of standards spaced apart, a support for said standards means onsaid support and positioned be" ween said standards for supporting amount, means carried at the upper ends of said standards for support ingdifferent sized bulbs, centering jaws slidably carried bysaidstandardsand means mounted on saidisupport for operating said aws. 1 15.A head for a sealing-in machine comprising a support, standards mountedon said support in s aced relationship, a mount support mounte on saidsupport between said standards, a universal adapter mounted on the upperends of said standards, selfcentering jaws slidably positioned on saidstandards intermediate said adapter and said mount-support, meanscarried by said support for opening and closing said slidable jaws, andmeans for locking said jaws in open' position.

16. A'sealing-in-machine comprising standards spaced apart, amount-support tween said standards, an adapter mounted on the standardsand having surfaces of such a contour as to hold bulbs of various sizeseach in a predetermined position relative to said mount-support, meansfor engaging the neck of the bulb placed in said adapter to align thebulb with its longitudinal axis coincident with the longitudinal axis ofa mount positioned in said mount supp0rt.

17 A sealing-in machine comprisinga rotatable carrier, rotatable headson said carrier and gravity guides beneath said rotata- .ble heads fordeflecting cullets outwardly from said head.

18. A sealing-in machine comprising a support, a pan on said support, ashaft carried by said support and centrally located with respect to saidpan, a gravity guide secured to said shaft and rotatable heads -mountedon said guide, whereby cullets removed from said head and dropping onsaid guide are deflected downwardly into said pan.

said carrier, a pan surrounding said carrier and deflecting meansco-operating therewith to guide cullets removed from said heads.

20. In a sealing-in machine having a rotatable carrier and headssupported thereby,

a pan surrounding said carrier and gravity 19. In a sealing-inmachinehaving a rotata'ble carrier and rotatable heads carried by saidstandards, a universal adapter carried by said standards, self-centeringjaws slidably mounted on said standards, means for opening and closinsaid jaws, and means for locking said 3aws in open position, a burnercarried by said shaft and means for rotating said cone and saidrotatable heads.

22. A head for sealing-in machines, the combination of means forsupporting bulbs of different sizes, comprising a plurality of contactsurfaces having such a contour as to hold bulbs of various sizes, eachin a predetermined position relative thereto and means for externallyengaging the necks of said bulbs for axially aligning the same.

23. In a head for sealing-in machines, the combination of means forsupporting a bulb comprising a plurality of contact surfaces having sucha contour as to hold bulbs of Various sizes, each in a predeterminedposition relative thereto, means for supportmg" a mount and movablemembers for engaging said bulb to axially align the same with respect tosaid mount.

24. In a sealing-in machine, the combina tion of means. for supportingamount and means for .supporting, bulbs of different sizes comprisinga'pluralityof contact surfaces haying such a contour as to hold bulbs ofvarious sizes, each in a predetermined position relativeito a supportedmount and a plurality of movable contact members for engaging the lowerportion of the neck of a supported bulb to position said neck inconcentric spaced relation to the flare of a supported mount.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 7th day ofMay,

JOHN JOSEPH HIGGINS.

